This blog began as an online newspaper about Kings Cross, Sydney. It now focuses on the deep problems of drug prohibition - which are so intrinsic to Kings Cross anyway - and exposes the many flaws in the prohibitionist argument, and the pseudo-science that governments fund to prop up their unjust and ineffective laws. Comments are welcome, but please be polite! Content on this site reflects only the views of the writer and are not necessarily those of the editor or any other organisation.

Tuesday, December 07, 2004

New rules for Bill Posters

A 'lost cat' or 'garage sale' notice in King Street Newtown or Glebe Point Road might now stay up for five days after a revised graffiti policy was passed at Council last night. But in Darlinghurst Road your cat won't get the same coverage because Council's 24-hour removal policy remains.

The 24-hour rule still mostly applies to designated 'hot spots' ,ie main street shopping centres. Sections of King Street and Glebe Point Road have been excepted from the 24-hour rule, along with part of City Road near Sydney University. Elswhere, a five-day removal cycle remains.

Political posters are a different case again -- they will be allowed to stay up two weeks before an election.

Crs Chris Harris, Greens, and Verity Firth, Labor, were not happy with inconsistencies in the policy and persuaded Council to consider it again next year.

Harris wants the 14-day political rule applied to all community notices. 'Why should political parties get special treatment?' he said.

He also wants the hot-spot exceptions extended and a notice area defined for Kings Cross. He says the removal schedule should be posted on Council's website so people can avoid having their notices torn down the same day they post them.

Our local 'hot-spots' (daily poster removal) are: William Street from Riley to the tunnel; Victoria Street from Burton St to the Potts Point end; Darlinghurst Road from Oxford ST to Fitzroy Gardens and onward down MacLeay Street.

Elsewhere, five days remains the rule.

Council spent $3 million last year on graffiti and poster removal, listing 31,000 instances. That's $96.77 per removal, which is nothing compared to the cost of signage if the police get to extend their no-alcohol areas. Those signs cost Council $500 each, plus maintenance costs.

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About Me

Hello again. world. I am a journalist, designer and photographer eking out a living by grazing on economic opportunities that come my way. I have run my business, Superkern Design Pty Ltd, since 1991. The gross oversupply of designers being pumped out by a dysfunctional university system has made it very difficult to survive as a designer since the late '90s, but on balance I like the advantages of working for myself at home. The older I get, the more human affairs look farcical. The average person is pretty damn average, you see. But there you go. I try to inject some commonsense into the public discourse which, at least in Sydney, is increasingly dominated by moral panics and middle-class agendas of control and gentrification. I don't quite understand why people from alternative subcultures tend to be quite happy for the middle class to live their lives as they wish, but the reverse is not true. And yet this same middleclass constantly use the words "diversity" and "tolerance". It's a funny old world.
See my Superkern and photoart sites linked above.